The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-16

IuOuSH uOI WOru WdS SpOhtH. ludt
some new danger to Jack had developed
Blackfoot Chief TO tell what IL was.
'Well, what has the Eagle to say?" 1
asked, being too anxious and agitated
to stand upon ceremony.
Jack has gone with the Morning
Dawn but the Big Buffalo and twenty
braves follow him. They are two hours
behind him, but as Jack knows not
they are on his trail, he may not travel
so fast as if he knew"
How did the Big Buffalo know that
Jack was carrying off the 'Dawn'?"
"a party OF belated hunters return
ing to the village saw them. AS the
Morning Dawn was not 10 be found in
her lodge, Jack well knew the
whole secret was guessed at by the Big
Buffalo. The Big Buffalo is mad
much mad-he swears to burn Jack at
the stake and marry his daughter to
Grey Wolf"
How long since Big Buffalo started ?'
IAN hour ago. | had to wait till the
village quoted down, then get my horse,
and am here"
You have done well, chief-you have
been our friend and We ot1er our friend
ship. Will you join US and be one with
us-we will fight for you and you shall
fight for us-is it good ?"
1T is good-the Eagle will join his
brothers."
Good, my brother-Now, boys, -
said |, taking the lead-'nothing but
can save Jack. We know pretty much
the road he takes and We must mead
him off and join him before the others
oVertake him. He, foolish boy, will be
so taken up with his Morning Dawn
that haste will be little thought Of He
thinks his trail is clear to the fort and
none know of his night ride; neither
would they, but for those c6nfounded
hunters. Chief, you and Burns go and
bring up eight of our very best horses,
we must oVertake Jack or kill every
horse we have-well get arms and other
things we need ready by the time you
return-pick the best OF the herd "
No more was then said, but each
worked for purpose, and half an hour
afterwards we were mounted and on
our way to aid and save our friend, or
share his fate. On the plains there is
no halfway friendships, or hates. If it
is hate it is generally deadly and cul-
inmates in blcodshed-if it is friendship,
nothing is too good, nothing too labor
iOus, or dangerous, or harrassing, to
save our friend.
Ride we did with speed. The Black
foot chief was intimately acquainted
with the country and took the lead. We
Ought no trail, we followed neither the
footsteps of Jack nor his pursuerS. We
knew where they were going and took
across country to head him off-a terri
bic rough road, trying to horse and
rider, and dangerous enough i'll day
light, doubly dangerous in the night.
But we thought not of that Jack must
be saved. Followed by twenty braWny
Indians-the pick of the tribe-brave as
he was, well armed as ne was, he could
not expect to successfully cope with
them, more especially, encumbered as
he was with the Morning Dawn" On!
On! We drove through the night! On!
On our painting horses straining every
nerve IN the wild ride over boulder and
gully and raylne, gradually weakening
as the fearful strain told upon them.
On! On! over half the distance to the
point we aimed for was traversed, when
we halted, and five minutes afterwards
had Saddled our fresh mounts, turned
our tired-out horses loose and again
plunged on through the night.
Fourl Five! O'Clock, still we were
speeding onward. We had rode over
thirty miles, the toughest of mountain
roads in three hours. Would we be in
time? Already dawn was coming in
the "dappled east" The place where
we would intersect or strike Jacks trail
was not far ahead. Hark! was that
not a shot? Harkl was nos that again
q rife shot? Ominously among the
jagged peaks around were the answer
ing echoes flung, nor could we, going at
the terrible, break-neck speed of our
labOring horses, tel whence they came.
Again a regular fusiiade of Shots aHoke
the dread, slumbering echoes of the
yet still on We plunged, no
time for stopping now. There must be
no failure noW-Jack, our glorious Jack
was IN trouble-Jack must be beset-
twenty to one is long odds-hut we
knew he would thin them out, even if
he died. Nothing craven about Jack,
loyal, generous Jack, and we
must be there to strike fog him-to save
him, or to die with HIM.
Again and yet again we heard shots
and occasionally wild ringing shout
we knew was Jacks battle cry; and
then the concentrated yells of a party
of Indians. Family at first, these
sounds increased in volume with each |
showing that we were draw
ing rapidly nearer to the actors in the |
tragedy going on. By this time, too, the |
on the mountain peaks and |
high hills around was getting pretty |
well advanced, though darkness, more |
Or less, yet lurked and brooded in the |
ravines and narrow valleys.
To understand what follows we must |
describe the surrounding scene. In his |
flight ] ack had travelled down a fertile |
valley, in places of considerable width |
and nowhere of difficult access. He |
must have had some mishap, or have |
very slowly to have been over
taken where he was, five miles nearer
than we expected to meet him. The
stream down which he travelled emptied
into the Platte about mile above where
ne were heading for, where we expected
to have overtaken our friend. The val
ey was more or less open where Jack
vas oVertaken, and the pursuers seemed
10 be perfectly wild and demoniacal-
urged on as they were by the Big But
alo, who, when he came in sight of bis
laughter riding side by side with Jack,
ost all patience and control over him
self and seemed to turn his hatred to
wards her as well. He urged on his fol-
overs by voice and spur, and told them